Rotatable loudspeaker



Nov. 23, 1965 E. MIZRAHI 3,219,140

ROTATABLE LOUDSPEAKER Filed Oct. 7. 1964 ML 15 22 I3,

United States Patent 3,219,140 RDTATABLE LOUDSPEAKER Eli Mizrahi,Hazlet, NJL, assignor to Circle-O-Phonic, Inc., New York, NY. Filed 0st.7, 1964, Ser. No. 402,138 Claims. (Cl. 18131) This invention relates toa rotatable loudspeaker and more particularly to a loudspeaker adaptedto be directed rotatably in a plurality of selective positions.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rotatable loudspeakeradapted to send out messages while rotating.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rotatableloudspeaker swing'able through an arc while rotating.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent uponreading the descriptive disclosure taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing of an illustrative embodiment of this invention andin which;

FIG. 1 is a side view of the rotatable loudspeaker showing in dottedoutline the speaker swung through an arc of 90 degrees,

FIG. 2 is a view taken at line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIG. 3 is a view taken at line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, and

FIG. 4- is a modification of FIGURE 1 showing an alternative manner ofconducting an electric current to the rotating speaker.

Referring to the drawing a base is provided with a base plate 11 andvertical upright 12. The base plate 11 may be removeably secured to afoundation structure by conventional means such as bolts and nuts if sodesired. Usually the upright of the base 10 is so heavy as to firmlyhold the device in place by the force of gravity alone.

The upright 12 of the base 10 is provided at its top most terminus witha curvatured U-shaped channel (FIGURE 3) formed by a pair of channelforming ridges 13 and 14 intergral with said upright 12.

A crescent shaped or C-shaped frame piece 15 is adapted to slidably fitinto the channel formed by ridges 13 and 14 and is provided with acurvatured groove 16 preferably of a length to permit thecrescent-shaped frame piece 15 to swng through an arc of at east 90degrees. The slot 16 may be of a length substantially equal to thelength of the crescent-shaped frame piece 15, in which event theframe-piece may be swung through an arc of about 180 degrees.

The crescent frame piece 15 is provided with a top aperture to receivethe top journal 17 of rotatable shaft 18, and also with a bottomaperture in the base of the crescent-shaped piece 15 of a size adaptedto receive the bottom shaft section 19 (FIG. 2) of the shaft 18.

An electrical motor 20 (FIG. 1), is fixedly secured to the bottom of theframe piece 15 by conventional means (not shown). The motor shaft andshaft 18 may be of integral and unitary construction.

As shown in FIG. 3 the channel ridge 13 is provided with a screwthreaded aperture and a mating screw threaded wing nut 21 is threadingengaged in said aperture. The wing nut 21 is provided with a prong end22 adapted to be inserted into groove 16 and to frictionally engage thebase wall of the groove when the wing nut 21 is tightened by inwardrotation of its thumb plate. Thus the wing nut 21 is adapted to lock thecrescent shaped frame piece 15 in any selected position.

The rotatable shaft 18 is provided with a metal slipon collar 24 (FIG.2) having a middle cylindrical section 25 of smaller diameter. A sleeve26 of any conventional electrical insulating material is disposedintermediate the shaft 18 and the collar 24.

An electricity conducting metal clamp 27 of substantially a U-shapedconstruction is disposed in rubbing contacting relationship with section25 of collar 24. Clamp 27 is provided with a triangular integralextension 28 having an aperture 29 therein. An angular pillar 30 ofelectrical insulating material is secured by conventional means such aslock screws or bolts to the frame piece 15 and a tension spring 31 isdisposed between said pillar 30 and extension 28 thereby drawing theclamp in snug rubbing contact with collar 24. Graphite powder may beused as a lubricant between clamp 27 and collar 24 because of itselectrical conducting property.

The cylindrical shaft 18 is provided with a circular groove 32. Thecollar 24 is also provided with a screw threaded aperture and a setscrew33 is fitted into the aperture and tightened against shaft 18 therebylocking the collar 24 to the shaft 18 to cause rotation of said collar24 and shaft 18 as a unit.

An electrical impulse carrying conduit 34 from an amplifier (not shown)is secured by conventional soldering means to extension 28 and a conduit35 is secured by locking screw 36 to collar 24 and also to aconventional loudspeaker horn 37, secured thereto by conventional means.

The horn 37 is fixedly secured to a rectangular support 38 which latteris fixed to shaft 18 by conventional securing means such as setscrews.

In the modification shown in FIG. 4, a plunger 39 having a rod 40 and acurvatured clamp shoe 41 is disposed between insulating pillar 30 andthe middle sec tion 25 of collar 24. The curvatured portion of shoe 41is adapted to rubbingly engage the collar section 25 thus permittingflow of electrical current therebetween.

The plunger rod 40 protrudes through an aperture in support pillar 3t)and a compression spring 42 is disposed about the rod 40 between pillar30 and a clamp shoe 41 thereby urging the said shoe 41 in firm contactwith rotating collar 24. The electrical wire 34 in the modification ofFIG. 4 is secured to the end of rod 41) which protrudes through pillar31 In the apparatus of this invention the electrical wire 34 is securedto a conventional audio-amplifier (not shown) at one end and to clamp 27or plunger 40 at the other end. The impulse current in the wire 34passes through stationary clamp 27 or plunger 40 into rotating shaft 18.Motor 20 is energized by electrical current from conduits 43 causingrotation of shaft 18. The horn 37 thus continuiusly rotates with shaft18 emitting sound at right angles thereto.

The shaft 18 may be moved selectively from a vertical position as shownto a horizontal position as shown in dotted outline and secured in placeat an angle between 0 or the horizontal plane and or the vertical planeand also beyond 90 to about Clearly, the rotating horn of this inventioncan rotatingly be directed in substantially any selected position andthus rotatingly dispense sound in universal manner.

In the return of the current from the loud-speaker to the ground, thepath of travel is through the shaft 18, and frame-piece 15 to the baseupright support 10 and thence to the ground upon which said base 10rests.

Having described my invention other embodiments within the ambit of thisdisclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art, but all theseembodiments are intended to be embraced within the scope of the claimsherein.

I claim:

1. An electrical loudspeaker apparatus comprising an upright base memberhaving a Ushaped slot in its top, a curvatured C-shaped member disposedslidably in said U-shaped slot of said base upright, a shaft rotatablymounted between the ends of the C-shaped member, a collar adapted toconduct electrical current disposed about said shaft and fixed thereto,means for electrically insulating said collar from said shaft, means forrotating said shaft, an electricity conducting stationary clarnp shoemeans disposed in frictional relationship against said collar, means forurging said stationary clamp shoe in firm contact with said rotatingshaft, a loudspeaker fixedly secured to said shaft, and an electricalconduit disposed between said collar and said horn for conductingelectrical impulses thereto.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said clamp shoe means consists of aU-shaped seizure clamp, and wherein the means for urging a firm contactbetween said clamp and said rotatable shaft is a tension spring, saidapparatus having a pillar of electrical insulating material secured tosaid C-frame piece and adapted to hold one end of said tension spring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said clamp shoe consists of acurvatured plate adapted to engage the surface of the rotating shaft,said apparatus having an upright apertured pillar of insulating materialsecured fixedly to said C-frame and having further a plunger rod securedat one end to said clamp shoe and disposed at the other end through theaperture of said pillar, and wherein said means for urging firm contactbetween said shoe and said shaft is a compression spring disposedbetween said pillar and said shoe.

4. An electrical apparatus for dispensing sound selectively in anydirection comprising a base support, a C- shaped element disposedslideably in said support, a rotatable shaft disposed between the endsof the C-shaped element, means for rotating said shaft, a hornloudspeaker secured to said shaft, and means for conveying electricalimpulses to said horn loudspeaker.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for conveying electricalimpulses to said horn comprises an electrical current conducting collarfixedly disposed about said shaft, an electrical insulating cylinderdisposed between said collar and said shaft, a clamp shoe adapted toconvey electrical current and firmly contacting said collar, means forconducting electrical current to said collar, and means disposed fixedlybetween said collar and said loudspeaker for conveying electricalcurrent impulses to said loudspeaker.

References (lited by the Examiner LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ELECTRICAL LOUDSPEAKER APPARATUS COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT BASE MEMBERHAVING A U-SHAPED SLOT IN ITS TOP, A CURVATURED C-SHAPED MEMBER DISPOSEDSLIDABLY IN SAID U-SHAPED SLOT OF SAID BASE UPRIGHT, A SHAFT ROTATABLYMOUNTED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE C-SHAPED MEMBER, A COLLAR ADAPTED TOCONDUCT ELECTRICAL CURRENT DISPOSED ABOUT SAID SHAFT AND FIXED THERETO,MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY INSULATING SAID COLLAR FROM SAID SHAFT, MEANS FORROTATING SAID SHAFT, AN ELECTRICITY CONDUCTING STATIONARY CLAMP SHOEMEANS DISPOSED IN FRICTIONAL RELATIONSHIP AGAINST SAID COLLAR, MEANS FORURGING SAID STATIONARY CLAMP SHOE IN FIRM CONTACT WITH SAID ROTATINGSHAFT, A LOUDSPEAKER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID SHAFT, AND AN ELECTRICALCONDUIT DISPOSED BETWEEN SAD COLLAR AND SAID HORN FOR CONDUCTINGELECTRICAL IMPULSES THERETO.